The downfall of the large tea infusers like youre showing is how large they are; unless you are making tea for 2 or more people. I would get one for the fridge if i was making iced green or oolong but if you are only making tea for you, I would certainly get a smaller porcelain pot.

gunbuster363 wrote:Actually I quite like the clever push-button pour to separate the tea from the leaves. Also the comfortable handle. The only downside is the PC inner container which I am not sure of.

I don't like gaiwan because there are 3 pieces. In this way, you need to use a box to carry it around workplace.

So you live in Hong Kong. I don't suppose you are one of the billionaires that ride in a Rolls Royce that has ten labels of clubs to which you belong on your car's windows to show you have enough $ to pay the initiation fees.So now that I am finished joking (& seriously it is a joke to be shared, I am not mocking you); how could you not notice shops & shops & shops that sell teapots? I found shopowners to be rude, expecting me to know what I wanted when I came in & definitely to buy something, not just look. Nonetheless, I did look & did not buy what I did not like, but I often found something that I liked. If I had made a mistake, at least the item looked good & was cheap.I have not been there in 20 years but would bet you could buy a glazed pot that you like for less than the shipping cost of getting one sent to you. I have a gaiwan w/o a bottom saucer. It is thicker than most & the supporting O on the bottom & top protrude > most gaiwans, allowing me not to burn myself.Good luck in your search.

ethan wrote:So you live in Hong Kong. I don't suppose you are one of the billionaires that ride in a Rolls Royce that has ten labels of clubs to which you belong on your car's windows to show you have enough $ to pay the initiation fees.So now that I am finished joking (& seriously it is a joke to be shared, I am not mocking you); how could you not notice shops & shops & shops that sell teapots? I found shopowners to be rude, expecting me to know what I wanted when I came in & definitely to buy something, not just look. Nonetheless, I did look & did not buy what I did not like, but I often found something that I liked. If I had made a mistake, at least the item looked good & was cheap.I have not been there in 20 years but would bet you could buy a glazed pot that you like for less than the shipping cost of getting one sent to you. I have a gaiwan w/o a bottom saucer. It is thicker than most & the supporting O on the bottom & top protrude > most gaiwans, allowing me not to burn myself.Good luck in your search.

The local store owners are just RUDE.

What I don't like about local store is the "information asymmetry" - They know more about the products than you do and they are not telling you until you ask. They just want to sell the stuff and praise their product.

Most of the time they do not have a price tag on the product. What you ask about the price, it could be unreasonably high. And when you state that you won't buy the stuff, the owners would give you a look - they don't like you and think you are wasting their time.

Then they will show you another one, and you might not like it either and you turn it down again. After several times, the shop owner might tell you to leave.

This is why I like online store even-though they are overseas. They show the price properly and I could judge whether the price is reasonable including shipping and whether I could afford it. I would risk the possible outcome that the real stuff don't fit the description on the website. But most of the time, reputable online store is reliable.

debunix wrote:Many of our own Teaware Artisans here make lovely small pots with glazed interiors that are suitable for a wide range of teas.

I just happened to bring a small Petr Novak pot to work with me today--about 80mL working volume, glazed interior, and so far working well with green, oolong, and puerh teas.

But they are not selling the teapot, do they? Also they most likely do not have stock available anytime and cannot compare to stores. Also artisan work is usually priced highly because of their wonderful craftsmanship.

Sometimes I might just want a teapot that works and doesn't hurt my wallet.